Holder for sealed beam lamps



P 1, 1954 F. c. DAZLEY HOLDER FOR SEALED BEAM LAMPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 10, 1951 v Inve'ntorfl Frede'h' fl s r'lis Atto p 21, 1954 F. c. DAZLEY 2,689,909

HOLDER FOR SEALED BEAM LAMPS Filed May 10, 1951 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 by grasping the lamp at its base.

Patented Sept. 21, 1954 HOLDER FOR SEALED BEAM LAMPS Frederick C. Dazley, Stratford, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application May 10, 1951 Serial No. 225,544

This invention relates to lampholdersfandin particular, to a new and improved la'mphqlder for lamps of the sealedbeam type.

4'Claims I (Cl. 24052) and improved lampholder; Fig. 3 is a modification of the new and improved lampholder shown in Figs. 1 and 2, while Fig. 4 is another View of the By sealed beam is meant thevnew lamp family including all those lamps which are formed from a base; including an electrical contact, a somewhat conical reflector and a circular heavy glass or plastic lens. The union of the reflector and the lens is formed at the periphery of the lens in a manner that provides a protruding lip extending radially outwardly from the junction line. I

Generally speaking, lampholders in existence before the birth of this new sealed beam lamp family are not satisfactory for their sup ort, i. e.,

the old type lampholders were designedto support and contact lightweight incandescent lamps Such lampholders were not designed to support 'heavy sealed beam lamps which, have their centers of gravity displaced from the lamp base. The plane of the lens, including the center ofgravity, ideally is the gripping location for properfsupport of a sealed beamflamp.

It is an object of this invention; therefore, to

provide a new and improved lampholder which clamps onto the beveled edge of a sealed beam lamp to provide support at the heaviest portion of the lamp.

It is a further object of this invention to, provide a new and improved low cost, durable lampholder which is simple in construction and which uses a minimum of scare materials.

It is a still further object of this invention-to provide a new and improved swivel-type lampa f holder for sealed beam lampswhich may be used with any sort of junction box or outlet box v cover.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent and the invention willbe more clearly understood from the following description, referring to the accompanying drawing, and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. I

Briefly, this invention comprises a wire preformed to provide a cradle and a saddle, i.'e., a

cradle or lampholding portion is formed to grip a lamp about the periphery of the lenswhile a saddle is formed to provide a swivel mount for the cradle.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lampholder supported on an outdoor weatherproof box, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the new embodiments shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with an adapter suitable for handling colored lenses and with a device for mounting the 'lampholder on an outlet box cover.

Referring to the drawing, lamp I is shown supported by a lampholder 2, which in turn is secured by a fitting 3 to a support box 4. The lamp is electrically connected by a female connector 5 to a power supply (not shown) within the box 4.

Lamp I is a sealed beam lamp comprisinga base 6, a conical reflector i, and a lens 8. Base i conventionally has either a screw electrical connection or, as in this embodiment,'it has a special cap including a pair of male prongs (Figs. 3 and 4) that engage a female connector. 5. The conical reflector I of the lamp is shown connected to the lens 8 at a bead or ledge 9the plane including the bead 9 is the heaviest portion of the lamp.

Lampholder 2 comprises a wire IE] formed to provide a support or saddle II and a cradle or lampholding portion I2.

While it is not intended to be a limitation on f the scope of this invention, the entire lampholder 2 can be formed from a single piece of wire Ill.

" This can best be explained by reference to Fig. 2

of the drawing. For example, saddle II can be considered as comprising two parallel legs 53 and i It, While cradle i2 can be considered as comprising two parallel circles I5 and I6 joined by the U bends IT, IS. Starting from leg I3, a wire would be bent to conform with the shape of half of circle I5 until U bend I1 is reached. The wire then would be bent in conformity with U bend IT and all of the circle i6 until U bend I8 is reached. The Wire would then be bent through it which joins legs I3 and I l.

process can be started and stopped at any one :point, which preferably would be sealed by a weld.

U bend I8, the second half of circle I5, and then through leg M to be joined by a cross-member With a structure as thus described, it is obvious that the U bends IT, I8 can be spread apart in conformity with the resiliency of the wire I0 to provide for the insertion of a lamp I therebetween, and particularly for the insertion of the lens periphery between the circles I5 and Iii.

The support of the lamp I will depend on the interaction of the Weight of the lamp and the resiliency of the wire It, i. e., the resiliency of the wire I0 is preferably great enough to enable cradle I2 to hold lamp I. To provide a more secure grip,

This forming however, a clip 20 may be provided to lock the U bends H and I8 relative to one another, thereby eliminating consideration of the resiliency of the wire In in the support of the lamp. One such clip 26 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as comprising a fiat strip of spring steel rotatably secured to one leg of the U bend I! and spring hooked to a complementaryilegnof U:bend-'l'8.

The fitting 3 which is used to secure the .lampholder 2 to a support box 4 should, by definition, include any means for pivotally securing the support 2 to a junction box, coverplate, wall outlet box, or the like. In the embodiment shown, however, fitting 3 comprises a nipple '(notshown) a washer 2|, and a nut 22. The nipple is athreaded piece of pipe extending outwardly from any supporting member, for example, the ,coverof a junction box or the support box 4 shown in Fig. 1, which is that particular box described and-claimed in the copending application to George Wickman, bearing Serial No. 189,796, filedOctober 12, 1950, now matured into Patent No. 2,606,218 and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

Washer 2| comprises aring having an inner and an outer concentric circle, with the outer circle having a greater diameter than the spaced apart distance of the two legs 13 andl 4, while'the inner diameter is suitable to accommodate the nipple which is to extend therethrough. Furof cradle l2, and a hook portion 29 which is provided as the support to grasp a reflector plate 30. The reflector plate S11 is a disk of colored glass or plastic placed over the lamp I to throw a colored spotlight. Such spotlights are commonly used for ornamental or display purposes.

Modifications of this invention will occur to "those skilledin the art, :and it is desired to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not supposed to be limited to the particular embodijments disclosed, but that it is meant to cover all thermore, washer 2| is provided with a pair of bent-down ear portions 23 spaced substantially 180 degrees apart. The ear portions .23 have a length less than the diameter of the wire In to permit the clamping of legs [3, 14 to the support box. The purpose of the bent-down ears 23 is to lock the wire 19 of the saddle II to prevent the spreading of the legs l3, l4 when the nut 22 is threaded onto the nipple toiorce washer 2| into engagement with the support box 4 that supports the nipple.

In the embodiment of the lampholder shown in Fig. 3, thelampholder 2 has a form somewhat similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but it is adapted to be a lawn light by driving a prong 24 into the ground. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the cradle I2 is identical with that shown inFigs. 1 and 2, but saddle I I is supplanted by the prong 24. The end of the convolution of cradle l2 can be welded to prong 24 or, as in the embodiment shown, it is looped behind the prong .24 to provide a frictional engagement between the end of the cradle l2 and the prong 24. The lamp I can again be inserted into the cradle .12 of the lampholder, and can be secured by the spring=clip 20, or it can be held simply by the resiliency of wire In of cradle l2 as described in conjunction with Figs. 1 and 2'. The advantage of this em bodiment shown in Fig. 3 is that the lamp can be placed anywhere and used for a flood-lamp, or an outdoor searchlight, or for advertising purposes, etc.

A still further embodiment of this invention is shown in Fig. 4 wherein a. lampholder .2 and a lamp I areidentical to those shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but in this embodiment cradle 12 is provided with a plurality of spring clips 25 which preferably are spaced about 120 degrees apart. Each clip 25 comprises a loop portion 26 which grasps the portion 15 of cradle l2, an upturnedportion 21 which permits the clip to ride over the top of the bead of lamp I, a bent-down portion 28, allowing the spring clip to ride under the .front portion I6 modifications which are within the true spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the apvpended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. .In a lampholder for lamps of the sealed beam type having a circumferential ledge, said holder comprising a base portion to provide for the variable positioning of said lamp relative to a supporting surface and a lamp gripping portion comprising a pair of resilient. arcuate jaws, said jaws being formed of a. parallel pair of substantially coextensive circular loops made from a single length of wire such that the jawsmay be clamped over the said ledge of a lamp with the ledge being straddled by said loops, the base portion comprising a parallel pair of arcuate strips of wire-which lie in planes which are perpendicular tothe said loops, with said strips being integral with one of said loops, and adjustable clamping means for securing said base portion to the supporting surface.

2. In a lampholder, as recited in claim -1, wherein a continuous piece of wire is used in forming the'entire structure.

3. In combination, a lamp of the sealed beam type having a circumferential ledge adjacent the lens of the lamp and a holder, said holder comprising a single piece of resilient wire formed to provide a cradle or lamp gripping part and an integral portion to provide for the variable po sitioning of said cradle relative to a supporting surface, said cradle comprising a pair of circular loops in substantially parallel planes which are joined together by two spaced connecting portions extending outwardly from both loops so that a gap is formed in each loop whereby the loops may be held open to receive the ledge of the lamp between said pair of circular loops, the lamp belng References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 172,137 Martino Jan. 11, 1876 697,901 Thurber Apr. 15, 1902 1,104,352 Erlandsson July 21, 1914 1,163,590 Dobes Dec. '7, 1915 1,331,668 Parker Feb. 24., 1920 2,161,246 Carlson June 6, 1939 

